Roberto Cavalli

Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli wanted to make a big splash with his first U.S.boutique, so Madison Avenue in Manhattan seemed an obvious choice. Cavalli chose Marco Carrano Associates (New York) to design a fitting showcase for his sophisticated clothing and accessories.

Carrano took the 'showcase'idea literally, designing a full-height glass façade that wraps around the corner of Madison and 63rd Street and gives the two-level store the look of a giant vitrine. Through the street corner glass façade, most of the Cavalli collections are visible to passersby.

The 2000-square-foot store features a neutral palette of white, light woods, satin-finished steel and Italian limestone flooring. The interplay between iridescent, transparent and opaque materials in the space is accented by direct and indirect lighting. An elliptical stone staircase connects the two floors and acts as a focal point.

Carrano, who has a passsion for Aristotle and Kant, says philosophy helps him identify the essence of a store environment. Every design should tell a story, he believes, and the more meaningful the story, the more powerful the design solution will be. Cavalli wanted designers to tell the story of his merchandise, and from that standpoint, the Cavalli boutique has taken on a fairytale quality.

Design: Marco Carrano Associates, New York — Marco Carrano, principal

Suppliers: Regency Distributors, New York (audio/video); Bauhaus, New York (celings, fixturing, flooring, lighting)